The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-05-19
WHITE FURNITURE.
How . Bright Woman Created . Unique
| and Beautiful Apartment.

now brtsnt woman Created Unique
and Beautiful Apartment.
No sooner had we furnished our
houses in somber colors with dark ma
hogany and early English furniture Of
black oak. which appeared worm-eaten,
If 1T really was not, when, loi the dealers
inaugurate perfect craze in white fur
nlture, hSht-colored upholstered goods,
and from the dignifed and aristocratic
English or colonial STYLES we become
imbued with the period of Louis Quinze.
However, the dark rich furniture is too
beautiful to give up without struggle,
and fashion now dictates that those who
can afford it shall have each room in
their residence furnished to represent
not only distinct period. but certain
country as well Thus we have English
rooms, French rooms, colonial, Egyp-
tlan and Japanese apartments, accord
ing to the purse or fancy. The first
''white room" built in New York
of any prominence is the music
room in the Willard mansion,
now owned and occupied by Mr..
Whitelaw Reid. The floor is highly
polished in light colored woods, and
the entire apartment is of ivory white,
picked out with gold. and in the panels
of the walls medallions of lutes,
ribbons and scrolls of music. A hand
some ''white room" has the floor of
polished wood, with here and there a
white Astrakhan rug; the furniture is
of white, picked out with gold, up
holstered in white satin brocade; the
curtains and other draperies are of
white plush embroidered with gold; the
picture frames are white and gold,
white easel stands in one corner and
white and gold piano. 1t makes most
beautiful apartment. Not long ago the
writer described this room to a clever
young wife who lives in an adjacent
town. She has comparatively little
money, but excellent taste; recently she
invited me to see her "white roOm,"
which she surprised me by stating was
all the result of her own ingenuity
and cost but little The wood floor
had been stained and polished to
look like cherry, and several white fox
rugs, which cost about $50, were laid
here and there. She had bought sew
eral of the tripod-legged tables with
pine tops. The legs she painted white
with gilt lines, using the liquid gliding.
The tops were covered with white plush,
and another with white felt, with yellow
satin bows at the corners and gold
fringe. She also made a mantel scarf
of white plush. trimmed with yellow
bows. An old-fashioned high-backed
kitchen chair she painted white and
made for it yellow plush cushion.
One of the ordinary Shaker rocking
chairs was also painted white and gold,
and over the red and black braided seat
she had tackled white felt, with some
yellow flowers embroidered upon it,
while the back was decorated with
yellow Chinese silk scarf. Plants grew
in common flower-pots. painted white;
an easel was made of pine, painted
white, while over the mantel was an
old-fashioned oval mirror, such as were
used fifteen years ago. Between the
windows she had hung the mirror
lengthwise and painted its common
black walnut frame white, looping a
white silk scarf. with gold figures,
around it. A milking stool, also painted
white, with bunch of yellow flowers
painted upon the seat, stood in
a corner; at the windows were
white China silk curtains, tied back
with yellow bows. These curtains,
being of the same material as
silk handkerchiefs, of course wash as
well. Old disused walnut picture frames
were also painted and gilded to match
the other articles. And beautiful wall
bracket was made of square of pine
board, to which was nailed three little
shelves put on irregularly like three
steps. This also was painted white,
gilded on the edges of the shelves and
hung up by screw eyes. which were con-
cealed by yellow bows-a pretty yellow.
A Leeds vase was one of the ornaments,
a white candlestick which held a yellow
twisted candle, choice bit of Royal
Worcester, which were among the pos
sessions, and, of course, other Orna-
ments about the apartment. A bird
sang in brass cage, harmonizing with
the decorations The effect was like
fairyland, and in spite of this fact the
pretty owner of all informed us that
this charming result was reached at a
cost not exceeding twenty-five dollars.
1t would be difficult to say which was
the more beautiful, the '.white room,"
with its gorgeousness and white piano,
which apartment cost in the neighbOr-
hood of $4,000, or that of the pretty
young housewife who. with little money
but much taste and industry, had crea-
ed an apartment unique. beautiful and.
better than all, showing her own indi-
Y Mail and Express.
TRAINING THE YOUNG.